One thing I'm not going to do again is buy a car from new, much better buying an older decent make. The deprecation on a new car is a killer and you soon get over that new car feeling. I fancied driving a decent car so I traded in my 3 year old Vectra for a 11 year old Boxster (pretty much a straight swap). I've had to spend a bit to get it through its MOT but they seem to keep their value more than the cheaper makes and its much more fun. When I bought my car there was an 8 year old S class Mercedes on the forecourt going for 7 grand.

The problem with that is that you'd never buy anything. A company can sell 100,000 perfectly good cars but if two people on an internet forum have the same problem, you'd imagine that the every single car was a deathtrap not fit for human use.

There is also the "Top Gear" problem. Go on a car users forum and it's all Alan Partridge ######. I don't give a stuff about optimising the "regen" of my diesel particulate filter. I just want the damned thing to look nice, drive well and be reliable and economical.

Well no you would, it's about finding out what they are like to live with. I struggled to find the leak in my car but it turns out it was a common problem and I could fix it near enough straight away. x might have issues that y doesn't, or with stories in the last few years of recalls, people have to talk about those issues so they are dealt with.

I don't want to sound obvious but you're asking on a forum for advice yourself...

Can't really go wrong with VW Golfs as a mid-range car, usually dependable, but nothing flash.
I have a 2011 2.0 Bluemotion and sometimes its up to 75mpg on the work run, whilst still having 140bhp of grunt if you need it.

Before that a Honda Civic 2.2dcti. Again reliable, good mpg with plenty of power. A better looker than the Golf, a 'different' cabin and some of the styling doesn't appeal to all. Small 45 litre tank though, so not a huge range between fill ups.
Was glad to get rid of it in the end after being shunted for 200 yards up the M25 stuck on the front end of a Bulgarian 40 tonne artic. It wasn't written-off so makes you think its a little weak after being in a major shunt.

Was glad to get rid of it in the end after being shunted for 200 yards up the M25 stuck on the front end of a Bulgarian 40 tonne artic. It wasn't written-off so makes you think its a little weak after being in a major shunt.

Aye, not a pleasant experience, but apparently its common on the M25 with left hand drive artics.
i was lucky in that I was travelling at a similar speed to the artic, who whilst I was overtaking him, decided to move into my lane, clipped my passenger side rear end, flipped me round onto the front of the artic.
it could have been worse if our respective speeds weren't similar as I wouldn't have stuck on the front, but careered left and right into the safety barrier and back out again into busy traffic, etc.
200 yards may be an eggageration - felt like eternity.

Thats exactly what happened, though in my case the lorry driver knew what was going on and immediately tried to stop.
The traffic cops said its a real common ocurrence with the left hand drive artics as they have a blind spot as you pass alongside where their cab is, as you can be lower than their passenger side window. The police do try to educate them by asking them to fit suitable mirrors but those from countries such as Romania and Bulgaria don't bother as its not compulsory.

Thats exactly what happened, though in my case the lorry driver knew what was going on and immediately tried to stop.The traffic cops said its a real common ocurrence with the left hand drive artics as they have a blind spot as you pass alongside where their cab is, as you can be lower than their passenger side window. The police do try to educate them by asking them to fit suitable mirrors but those from countries such as Romania and Bulgaria don't bother as its not compulsory.

I would've been a bag of nerves after something like that. Glad to hear that you got off relatively lightly.